For the Love of a Med Jai
by VestalDarkness
Summary: Lynette Carnahan joins her brother and sister on their adventure to Hamunaptra and finds her life turned upside down by the mysterious Med-Jai Ardeth Bay.
1. Chapter 1

_Updated Author's Note: This story is undergoing revision. Since I am going to start working on Part Two, I wanted to revise this part and see if I still liked it the way it was. I am also taking into account the feedback I have gotten, which has been both positive and constructive, and I thank all my reviewers for that. Having people tell you a story is awesome is great, but having them tell you how it could be improved is even better. I hope that you will take the time to reread the revised chapters, despite anxiously awaiting Part Two, and continue to comment on the changes that have been made._

_Feedback Note: A few people have asked why Evelyn is so mean to Lynette. It was not my intention for Evelyn to come off as mean, although I suppose I understand why some might get that impression. However, I think this chapter sets up their relationship in an effective way without being really obvious about it. To clarify, Evelyn is a mother to Lynette because she is the only responsible older sibling, and that is why she is what I would consider firm, not mean, to Lynette. If anyone is mean or difficult, it is Lynette, since she is the one who gets upset all the time. I hope this makes some of you feel better, as I am not trying to vilify Evy!_

_Original Author's Note: This story does assume familiarity with the events of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. I skip key events in the films that aren't pertinent to my OC character or Ardeth Bay as I feel is necessary to move the story along. Hopefully no one feels like this detracts from the story, but I certainly am interested in knowing what you think and fielding any questions you may have. Also, I can't take complete credit for the clandestine museum meeting that takes place in this chapter. That scene was actually cut from the film but was in Stephen Sommers' original script. The idea for the scene and some of the dialogue comes from that script. Obviously, I do not own any of the original dialogue or the plot from the movie either, but I do greatly enjoy using it for fantasy purposes._

**For the Love of a Med-Jai**

**Part One: The Mummy**

**Chapter One**

Thebes, City of the Living, crown jewel of Pharaoh Seti I; home of Imhotep, Pharaoh's High Priest, Keeper of the Dead; birthplace of Anck-su-namun, Pharaoh's mistress. No other man was allowed to touch her. But for their love, they were willing to risk life itself. Killing herself to escape worse punishment at the hands of the Med-Jai, Anck-su-namun was laid to rest under the sands of Egypt.

To resurrect Anck-su-namun, Imhotep and his priests broke into her crypt and stole her body. They raced deep into the desert, taking Anck-su-namun's corpse to Hamunaptra, City of the Dead, ancient burial site for the sons of pharaohs and resting place for the wealth of Egypt. For his love, Imhotep dared the gods' anger by going deep into the city, where he took the black Book of the Dead from its holy resting place.

Anck-su-namun's soul had been sent to the dark Underworld, her vital organs removed and placed in five sacred canopic jars. Only Imhotep could perform the ritual that would resurrect her, and the beginning of the ritual was a success. Anck-su-namun's soul had come back from the dead, but Pharaoh's bodyguards had followed Imhotep and stopped him before the ritual could be completed.

Imhotep's priests were condemned to be mummified alive. As for Imhotep, he was condemned to endure the Hom-Dai, the worst of all ancient curses, one so horrible it had never before been bestowed. He was to remain sealed inside his sarcophagus, the undead for all of eternity. The Med-Jai would never allow him to be released, for he would arise a walking disease, a plague upon mankind, an unholy flesh eater with the strength of ages, power over the sands, and the glory of invincibility!

**OOOO**

Lynette Carnahan stood amidst the ruins of what had been the Cairo Museum of Antiquities library until roughly one hour ago. Her sister Evelyn had needed a break from sorting through all the books she had knocked down, and Lynette had let her leave without saying anything, despite the fact that the entire mess was Evelyn's fault. Lynette was used to giving her sister space. After all, Evelyn's head was usually in the clouds, which meant that she was often getting herself into an awkward kind of trouble. Still, Evy was brilliant, and Lynette respected that, even though she mildly resented having to live in her sister's shadow.

Lynette was 16 years old, the youngest of three children in her family. Evelyn was working diligently towards a career in archaeology, trying to get accepted by the prestigious Bembridge Scholars. Jonathan had no such lofty goals and was constantly gambling or searching for treasure. Lynette wasn't certain of what her goals actually were, but she loved Egypt and its history just as much as her late parents and Evelyn, so she stayed at the museum, waiting to find her calling. At the moment, she had certainly decided that she never wanted to be a librarian.

Frustrated, Lynette turned and walked out of the room, almost crashing into her brother Jonathan, who was following Evelyn down the hallway with a huge smile on his face. Before she could ask what he was so happy about, he had grabbed her arm and was dragging her down the hallway. "Jonathan," she protested, trying to free her arm without ripping her sleeve. "Jonathan, would you like to tell me what's going on?"

"I found something, Lynn! I finally found something!" he said joyously. "After years of searching, I think I'll finally end up with something valuable." Lynnette rolled her eyes and finally fell into step with Jonathan so that she wasn't stumbling down the hallway. Her brother's search for wealth was a constant thorn in her side, as well as in Evy's. Of course, it did occur to Lynette that if Evelyn was going along with Jonathan's little scheme, there might actually be something to it. As they entered the curator's office, Jonathan finally let go of her and she stood beside the desk next to him, her arms crossed over her chest. She looked pointedly at Evelyn.

"Would you two mind telling me what all this is about?" she asked. Evelyn ignored her and set an old papyrus map down in front of the curator, who looked at her witheringly, which was not surprising after the library incident. Lynette stepped up to the edge of the desk and bent over to get a better look, trying not to get in the curator's way. "Is that the seal of Seti I?" she murmured, glancing up at Evelyn.

"Yes, I'm sure of it," Evelyn answered. The curator looked skeptical.

"Perhaps," he said curtly, his eyes scanning the map. Lynette noticed him frowning slightly. Jonathan was practically jumping out of his skin next to her.

"Well, who the hell was Seti I, and was he rich?" he asked. Lynette sighed. There was nothing like her brother's one-track mind. "Well?" Jonathan insisted.

"He was supposedly the wealthiest pharaoh to ever rule Egypt," Lynette answered. Jonathan's eyes practically popped out of his head. Evelyn was leaning over the map with the curator, her fingers tracing the markings on the far right side of the map.

"Do you see these here?" she said softly. "I think it's Hamunaptra."

The curator looked sharply up at Evelyn. "Don't be ridiculous. We're scholars, not treasure hunters. Hamunaptra is a myth."

"Hamunaptra?" Jonathan asked. "You mean…"

Lynette nodded. "The city where they supposedly hid all the wealth of Egypt in a giant underground treasure chamber. The whole thing was rumored to be able to disappear under the sands with the flick of a switch. But no one's ever found it."

The curator was holding the map close to his candle, squinting at something in one of the corners. Evelyn seemed to be waiting for him to come to some sort of revelation, and Lynette stepped away from the desk, beginning to pace in quiet contemplation. She started as Evelyn shrieked, turning around quickly. The curator had held the map too close to the candle and it was now lying on the carpet in flames. Lynette stayed back as Evelyn and Jonathan fell onto the map, trying to put out the flames. The curator seemed decidedly less than disappointed, but Jonathan sounded as if he wanted to die as he said, "You burned it. You burned off a part of the lost city!"

"It is for the best, I'm sure," the curator said defensively. "Many men have wasted their lives in the foolish pursuit of Hamunaptra. No one has ever found it, and most have never returned." Evelyn's brow was furrowed as she grabbed the box that had contained the map off of the desk.

"Come on, Jonathan, let's go," she said, quickly walking out of the room with Jonathan on her heels. Lynette was left alone with the curator. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the desk. She was always getting left out. She supposed she should be used to it.

**OOOO**

"What do you mean, you're leaving?" Lynette said angrily, glaring at Evelyn and Jonathan. Evelyn was packing, completely oblivious to Lynette's anger, while Jonathan stood sheepishly to the side, his hands resting on the back of his neck.

"I mean we're going to find Hamunaptra, and I expect you to keep an eye on things here while we're gone," Evelyn said matter-of-factly. Lynette was close to seething, but she was trying to be reasonable.

"Watch things here?" she said incredulously. "Evy, you're telling me that you're going after the most coveted Egyptian treasure of all time and you want me to stay home?"

"Well, you're too young to go anyway," Evelyn said blithely. Lynette finally snapped and slammed the lid of her sister's suitcase shut, glaring at her from the other side of the bed it was sitting on.

"What do you mean I'm too young? I know just as much as you do and I'm tired of being left out all the time! You can't just waltz off and leave me in a museum every time you don't want the extra baggage!"

Evelyn evenly met her sister's angry gaze. "You're not going, and that's final."

Lynette clenched her teeth but held her tongue. She knew it was futile to say anything. They would leave the next morning and she would have to stay behind. She turned on her heel and walked briskly out of the room.

**OOOO**

Lynette walked through the halls of the dark museum, not really knowing where she was going. She was so angry she could hardly think, but she didn't know what she could do about it. After all, she didn't really get a say in how anything went in her life. Now her brother and sister were going to leave her here while they went on some extravagant adventure. Yes, she was young, but not that young. She could handle herself around an archaeological site, she was sure of it. She just didn't know how to convince Evelyn of that.

Rounding a corner, Lynette stopped short, surprised to see light coming from under the curator's office door. It was almost midnight, and he never stayed that late. What could be going on? Curiosity dissipating some of her anger, Lynette crept closer to the door, noticing that it was slightly ajar. She moved quietly, finally leaning down to peer through the crack. She had to cover her mouth to keep from gasping as she saw an old man with a hook for a hand and his face covered in tattoos talking to the curator.

"She is like all the others," the mysterious visitor said. "She will die in the desert."

"No! She has seen too much, she knows too much," the curator insisted. Lynette bit her lip. Were they talking about Evelyn? "Not only does she have a map, but she has the key," the curator continued.

"She has the lost key?" The man with the hook looked angrily at the curator. "Then we will kill her, kill her and all those with her!" Lynette couldn't believe what she was hearing. Surely the curator couldn't go along with a plan to kill Evelyn?

"Yes… yes, kill her. And burn the map and retrieve the key," the curator answered. Lynette bit her lip. What the hell was she going to do? She couldn't let this man kill the only family she had left, regardless of how annoying they were being at present.

Lost in thought, Lynette almost didn't realize that the man with the hook was moving towards the door. She quickly scurried down the hallway and slipped through the archway of one of the exhibit rooms, tucking herself into a corner until the footsteps faded away. Then it was time to think about what she was going to do.

She knew Evelyn would never believe her if she tried to convince her that there was a strange man after her at the behest of the curator. She would think it was some silly ploy to stop them from going, or to let them come with her. But Lynette couldn't just let them go and leave it to chance that they would be all right. As she slipped out of the museum into the cold night air, she decided that her only choice would be to arrive earlier than Evelyn and Jonathan and book passage on the ship. She would have to stay hidden long enough so that they wouldn't be able to send her back, and then she could try and warn them.

Even if they didn't believe her, at least they would be warned.

**OOOO**

Lynette awoke slowly, her body cramped and freezing. Her plan to arrive before her brother and sister and book passage on their ship had worked, but the only room available was barely big enough to be a decent closet. She had finally fallen asleep, realizing that she wouldn't be able to do anything else until they were well underway. As she struggled to get up, she fell against the door, hitting her head and making a considerable thump. She rubbed her forehead and managed to open the door, dismayed to find that it was dark outside. She was sure that man would come for her sister under the cover of night, so she had to get to Evelyn fast. Luckily, she knew that her sister was in the room right next to hers, since she had heard her board that morning before she fell asleep.

Lynette was almost to Evelyn's door when her feet suddenly slid out from under her. She yelped and fell heavily to the deck, adding a bruised backside to her current list of discomforts. She got up, chiding herself for being so careless. It was a boat, after all, the deck was bound to be wet. Then she looked down and was amazed at what she saw. It was indeed water that she had slipped on, but this water was part of a trail of footprints that led right to her sister's door!

"Evelyn!" she gasped, running to the door and throwing it open. Her mouth dropped open as she saw the man with the hook crawling up slowly behind her sister. He stopped as he heard the door open, and Lynette ran into the room, reaching out and grabbing the man by the shoulders, pulling him up and away from Evelyn. He threw all his weight back on top of her and she fell to the floor, the wind temporarily knocked out of her. Evelyn's eyes were wide with surprise, but Lynette could hardly breathe, let alone say anything. She tried to sit up and simply fell back as the man with the hook backed her sister up against the wall.

Lynette heard the man ask about the map and key, then realized that she was breathing normally again. She sat up, successfully this time, and managed to get to her feet. At that moment, a strange man burst into the room yelling for Evelyn. For a moment, Lynette stood dumbly in the center of the confusion, watching as another man in black threw open a window in the wall and began shooting. Lynette shrieked as their rescuer began shooting back and as the man with the hook grabbed her by the ankle. She kicked him in the face with her other foot and grabbed the lantern off the table, smashing it over his head. She froze in momentary fear as he burst into flames, then gathered her wits and ran out of the room on the heels of Evelyn and her companion. She realized that the entire ship was on fire around her and that they would have no choice but to go overboard. She watched as the man threw Evelyn overboard, not relishing the idea of a late night dip, then hesitated as she realized that she hadn't seen her brother.

"Wait, where's Jonathan?" she yelled, but the man had already jumped ship. She looked around frantically, realizing that she didn't have much time, when Jonathan came barreling around a corner and crashed into her. He looked at her in confusion for a moment before immediately jumping overboard. Lynette whirled and saw the man with the hook stumbling towards her, his clothes aflame. She shrieked and dove headfirst off the ship, hitting the cold water, her breath stolen from her for the second time that night.

Surfacing despite the general chaos surrounding the ship, Lynette spotted her sister and swam to shore. She was completely soaked, and her skirt had ripped as she jumped overboard. All of her other clothes had been onboard. She sighed and squeezed water out of her shirtsleeve, glancing from Evelyn to Jonathan and then to the strange man who had rescued them.

"And you are?" she asked. He looked from her to Evelyn and then shrugged.

"Rick O'Connell. I'm the guide. Although I might ask you the same thing."

Before Lynette had a chance to answer, Evelyn spoke up. "Lynette, what are you doing here? I told you to stay at home!"

"Evelyn, we can't do this right now!" Lynette said in exasperation. "I'm here and I'm staying, and that's that. Now what are we going to do?"

Evelyn was about to say something else, but Rick put a hand on her shoulder, restraining her. "She's right, there's nothing you can about it now, whoever she is. We need to get to the nearest town and get supplies. And I'm sure you and… Lynette, was it?… would like some clothes."

Lynette pursed her lips and nodded, and Evelyn slowly nodded in agreement. "All right," she gave in reluctantly. "But we will be talking about this later."

Lynette rolled her eyes and sighed, holding her arms tightly against her chest to try and get warm before turning to follow her sister up the dark embankment.


	2. Chapter 2

_Feedback Note: Okay, there is one larger addition to this chapter in the form of a couple paragraphs from Ardeth's perspective to expand the genesis of the Ardeth/Lynette relationship. I realize that things seem to happen pretty quickly, which is sometimes a flaw of fanfiction (let's face it, we always want to get to the juicy stuff), but a flaw I am going to try and remedy in this story. I do want this relationship to be realistic as far as it can be (I mean, we are dealing with a lot of supernatural weirdness here), but I don't want it to be a love at first sight kind of thing. Right now, as it stands, Lynette and Ardeth are just intrigued by each other, especially since they are not expecting any prolonged contact. I hope you enjoy the changes, and please feel free to comment!_

**For the Love of a Med-Jai**

**Part One: The Mummy**

**Chapter Two**

Several days had passed. After stopping in a small desert town to purchase camels, supplies, and clothes, Rick O'Connell had been ready to move on, but Evelyn would have none of that until she had spoken to Lynette. After a heated discussion which mostly involved Evelyn ordering Lynette to go home, Rick had convinced her that it would be problematic at best to send Lynette home by herself, so she had been allowed to continue on with them, despite more than a little annoyance on Evelyn's part. Lynette did her best to ignore her sister's attitude on the trip to Hamunaptra, and when they got to the city, it did get a little better. Lynette spent most of her time above the ground studying the actual structure of the city, hoping that if she gave Evelyn some distance to make discoveries on her own, the rift between them would shorten and they would begin talking again. So far it seemed to be working, and even the death of the warden couldn't put a damper on Evelyn's excitement as they sat around the fire discussing their findings. Suddenly, Rick looked to the side, and Lynette heard gunfire. She and Evelyn looked at each other in alarm, and then Rick threw his gun at Evelyn. "Stay here!" he said. Evelyn immediately followed him, Jonathan protesting, and Lynette jumped up and ran after her.

As Lynette ran down what used to be the central boulevard of Hamunaptra, she saw dozens of the men in black robes racing through the city on horseback and on foot. She yelped as one of them grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms at her sides. "Get off of me!" she yelled, bringing her head back and hearing the crack as she broke his nose. The man screamed and let go of her, blood flowing down onto his chest, and she ran as fast as she could towards the center of the American camp, where she could see Rick and Evelyn. Rick tackled one of the strange men off his horse, shooting a menacing scimitar out of his hands. Rick cocked the gun again and pointed it at the man's face, and Lynette ran between them. "Stop it, both of you!" she said, glancing from Rick to the man he had been fighting.

He was a huge, fierce-looking man with dark olive skin and ebony hair that fell over his shoulders in lush waves. He had three tattoos on his face, one on each cheek and one across his forehead, and she noticed the handle of another scimitar peeking out from his belt. He had raised his hand and said something in Arabic that she didn't understand, but the rest of the men had stopped fighting, so she assumed he was their leader. He was quite formidable in his voluminous black robes, but Lynette forced herself to lean down and pick up his scimitar, never taking her eyes from his. She noticed him tense as she picked up the blade, but he relaxed again as she extended it to him so he could take the handle and slip it back into his belt. He nodded at her and then looked over her head at Rick.

"Leave this place or die," was all he said. Then he leapt on his horse and led his men out of the camp.

**OOOO**

Lynette didn't awake until noon the next day. Her head hurt like hell, and since everyone else seemed to be off at their various dig sites, she simply lay with her head facedown on the blanket, closing her eyes against the blinding sun. She tried to think about nothing, but instead her thoughts turned to the men who had attacked their camp last night, specifically the one who had faced off against Rick. Despite the fact that he had come into the camp with the apparent intention of killing them all, she couldn't help noticing that he was without a doubt the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. As she lay there thinking about him, she contemplated trying to get up to help the others, but instead she fell back into a fitful sleep.

******OOOO**

Ardeth Bay sat on his horse on the ridge overlooking Hamunaptra, anxiously noticing that neither party of treasure-seekers was heeding his warning, but merely continuing with their work. He had been watching since he had left the camp last night, not allowing anyone else to take over the watch, not because of any specific concern, but simply because he couldn't sleep. He had been greatly bothered by his confrontation with the man he had recognized from the battle in the desert several years ago, and also with the young woman who had stood between them.

She had been no warrior, that was obvious. She had also been very afraid, despite her confident façade. He had felt the trembling in her hands when she had handed back his scimitar. Still, her performance had been impressive. It had allowed him to deliver his warning without hurting anyone. Still, he didn't know why she lingered in his mind. Perhaps it was because she was so different from the women he knew. Med-Jai women were obedient, servile, and motherly. This girl had been anything but. It distracted him slightly, which bothered him. He had more important things to worry about at the moment.

Like what he was going to have to do to get the treasure-seekers to leave.

******OOOO**

When Lynette awoke next, it was to a general commotion around her. She sat up, her head reeling from the blow she had taken last night and from too much sleep. Rubbing her temples, she looked around. Evelyn seemed to be arguing with the Egyptologist who had come with the Americans, and she had a large black book in her hands that looked like the legendary Book of the Dead. Lynette couldn't figure out what anyone was yelling about, but she stood up, almost tripping over Rick. She steadied herself on his shoulder. "Sorry. What's going on?" she asked.

He never got the chance to answer. Suddenly, Lynette's ears were filled with a strange buzzing sound. She turned her head to the side and her mouth fell open as she saw a gigantic cloud of locusts rising into the air and then plummeting into the camp. She started as Jonathan grabbed her arm and dragged her after Rick and Evelyn into the tunnels they'd uncovered several days earlier. All the Americans ran in after them, jostling them around so much that Lynnette lost her brother and sister in the chaos. She could hear running and screaming. What the hell was going on?

Shaking her head to clear it, she carefully made her way through the dark corridor, feeling along the wall. She had no idea where she was going since she hadn't had a chance to venture into the tunnels yet. After moving forward several paces, she began to get uneasy. She could barely hear the sounds of the others now, and it was eerily quiet. A shiver ran up her spine, and suddenly she was certain that someone was watching her. She stopped briefly to listen, but heard nothing. She forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to convince herself that she was only paranoid.

Then someone grabbed her from behind.

Lynette shrieked as loud as she could, but the person who had grabbed her was much stronger than she was. She felt herself being lifted and then turned so she could be slung over the person's shoulder. She kept screaming, trying to hit whoever it was that had hold of her, but her blows didn't seem to be having any effect. As she struggled, she realized that she was being carried up and out of the tunnels. She was dumped back onto the sand outside, still kicking and screaming, until a voice she vaguely recognized said, "I told you to leave this place or die. You refused. Now you may have killed us all."

Lynette abruptly stopped screaming, feeling rather foolish as she looked up into the eyes of the man she had been thinking about that afternoon. She swallowed and felt a hot flush race through her cheeks, hoping he couldn't see her blush in the dark. Finally she realized that he was waiting for her to say something, so she stood up, trying to regain some of her dignity, and valiantly said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

The man looked at her dubiously. "You have unleashed a creature we have feared for over 3,000 years." When he wasn't talking, he was staring at her so intently that it almost frightened her, and it certainly wasn't helping her think. She looked down briefly, making sure all her clothes were still in the right place.

"What are you looking at?" she finally asked, exasperated. It was bad enough that he was spouting cryptic mumbo-jumbo at her, but he was also making her feel self-conscious, and she hated that.

His eyes swept over her, taking her in since he had not gotten a good look at her the previous night. It wasn't often that women came to Hamunaptra. He had seen countless armies, explorers, archaeologists and the like come seeking the City of the Dead, but never someone like her. She certainly looked different than the women of his people. Her skin was a pale white, very stark against her flimsy black desert garments, which barely covered certain parts of her body. The neckline in particular was quite low, and even the fabric covering her chest was quite transparent. Her feet were bare, and since her skirt was rumpled from when he had picked her up, he could see her smooth calves before the lines of her legs became obscured by the dress. Her hair was a dark, rich brown and fell in long loose curls halfway down her back. His eyes moved up to her face, which was tinged a dark shade of red, and he noticed that her eyes were an intriguing shade of grey. He had never seen grey eyes before. He also found that he liked the shape of her mouth, the fullness of her lips. She was not any kind of legendary beauty, but she was strangely appealing. Shaking himself suddenly, he realized that he shouldn't even be thinking such things at a time like this. There were much more pressing problems to be taken care of.

Realizing that he wasn't going to answer her, Lynette asked another question. "Why did you grab me like that in there?" She crossed her arms over her chest, either because she had noticed him looking or because she was cold, he wasn't sure which.

"To save you from the creature," he said. "Now that he is unleashed, he will kill indiscriminately."

Lynette sighed. "I already told you that I don't know what you mean when you say that. What creature, and why is he trying to kill us? And what does that have to do with you?" Lynette paused. "As a matter of fact, who are you? I don't even know if I should trust you after what happened on the boat!"

"Boat?" the man asked, puzzled.

"Of course you wouldn't know, they all died…" Lynette murmured. A shiver ran up her spine as a gust of cold desert air hit her back, and she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to get warm. "We took a boat here. There were men dressed like you who attacked us. Their leader had a hook for a hand."

The man's eyes narrowed. "He's dead, you said?"

Lynette shrugged. "I'm sorry, but he attacked me. I had no choice. I'd be dead now if I hadn't fought back."

The man looked at her in surprise. "You killed him?" he asked incredulously. Lynette pursed her lips and scowled.

"As a matter of fact, I lit him on fire, but I'm not particularly proud of it. I don't like seeing people die. I came on this trip to stop people from dying, and now I don't even know where my brother and sister are!" Her lower lip quivered slightly, and she bit it hard. She did not want to lose her composure in front of this man, and not just because he filled her stomach with butterflies, because that fact was particularly irrelevant at this point. She just didn't like crying in front of people.

The man nodded. "Your brother and sister, I see. And this compassion you speak of… that is why you intervened last night when you thought your friend was going to kill me."

"Yes," she answered. "And I thank you for leaving it at that and not persisting in whatever mission it is you're on." She shivered again, her skin rising in goosebumps along her arms. The man stepped forward, and Lynette found herself staring squarely at his chest. She wasn't tall, just a little over five feet, but this man was very tall. She leaned back a little apprehensively as he loomed over her.

"I won't hurt you," he said softly. He took the long black cloak off his shoulders and draped it over hers, fastening the leather clasp at her neck so that the fabric covered her from head to toe. "To keep you warm," he stated simply, stepping back. Lynette stood dumbly for a moment, unsure of how to interpret this strange gesture. He looked at her, smirking, seemingly amused, and she was confused all over again. "You do not think that a man like me is capable of compassion?"

Lynette opened her mouth, desperately hoping something clever (or at least passable as conversation) would come out. "Well, no offense, but you hadn't given me much reason to think so until now," she said meekly. "But… thank you." She hesitated, her head swimming with the cool night air and the scent of him on the cloak. The smell was musky and manly, and something she couldn't quite define, but certainly something pleasant. She felt a little lightheaded.

Suddenly, she swooned. The man caught her in his arms, gently lowering her to the ground, her head resting in his large hand. He frowned. "You have a very large bump on the back of your head. Are you sure you're all right?"

Lynette blinked, trying to gather her wits. "Ask the man whose nose I broke. I hit him pretty hard." This made the man laugh loudly, and she stared up at him, noticing how much he changed when he smiled. He seemed lighter, almost carefree.

"I know who you speak of. No wonder he was so embarrassed by his injury. It is not honorable to fight a woman."

Lynette snorted. "I think you need to change your ideas about women." She sat up, wavering back and forth a little, putting her hand to her head. She felt the man's hand on her back steadying her, and she looked at him a little sheepishly. "Thank you again." Looking up into his black eyes, now softer as he gazed at her, she whispered, "I don't know your name, you know."

"I am Ardeth Bay," he answered, cupping her cheek in his hand and tilting her head forward so he could look at her bump. He traced it gently with one long finger, and this time the shiver wasn't in her spine. She clenched her teeth. This was not the time to get all gooey, especially over someone she didn't even know. Maybe it would be easier if he wasn't so stunning.

"I'm Lynette," she said, a little breathlessly. "Lynette Carnahan."

He tilted her head back so he could look at her. "I am very pleased to meet you, Lynette Carnahan. Perhaps you will change the way I think about women, yes?"

She laughed a little, smiling at him. "Maybe so. Now, were you going to tell me what all this fuss is about?"

Before Ardeth had a chance to answer, the other men in black robes exited from the nearest tunnel, dragging Evelyn, Jonathan, Rick, and several of the Americans with them. Ardeth stood, grabbing Lynette's hands so she stood with him. She was caught a little off guard and stumbled, catching herself on his chest. She was very glad for the darkness as she felt a red-hot blush spread through her cheeks.

"Lynette!" Evelyn screamed. "Where were you? And what are you doing with this man? Get your hands off my sister!"

"Evelyn, it's all right," Lynette quickly placated her. "Ardeth saved my life."

Evelyn sputtered, stopping short. "Ardeth?" Lynette nodded, glancing at him.

Ardeth leveled his eyes at Rick, who was arguing with one of the black-robed men, who was babbling in Arabic. "Relax, I got him!" Rick shouted, clearly furious.

Ardeth stepped forward, his hands slipping away from Lynette's shoulders. She watched the pair of men anxiously. "No mortal weapons can kill this creature," Ardeth said. "You must leave this place now. We will try and find a way to stop him."

Evelyn rushed forward, grabbing Lynette's arm. "Come on, let's get out of here." Lynette, still horribly confused, looked at Ardeth, who had unsheathed one of his scimitars and was looking grimly towards the entrance to the tunnels of Hamunaptra. He nodded at her.

"Go," he said softly. "You must. But thank you for your concern."

Lynette was torn. Whatever had happened, it was bad, and it seemed to be partly their fault. It wasn't fair to shoulder this man with a burden they all should bear. "Be careful," she finally said, not knowing what else to do.

"You have more reason to worry," he said. "Ride like the hounds of Hell are behind you, for this creature… he will never eat, he will never sleep, he will never stop."


	3. Chapter 3

_Feedback Note: There has been another section added about Ardeth's developing feelings towards Lynette. I am hoping that it will make the initial attraction between them clearer. Also remember that all of these events are happening very quickly, and I am by no means attempting to make them be madly in love with each other by the end of Part One. Another thing that has changed based on feedback is the frequency of touching between the two of them. I have tried to remove any kind of gooey romantic nods to hand-holding and other such things, because when I reread it, these bothered me too! LoL I am trying to make them only touch each other when it is a heat of the moment kind of thing and when it seems realistic, so let me know what you think._

**For the Love of a Med-Jai**

**Part One: The Mummy**

**Chapter Three**

"You cannot be serious, Rick!" Lynette exclaimed in exasperation. "Evelyn is right, we should stay, this is partly our fault." She was pacing the length of Evelyn's room trying to come up with some sort of plan. Rick was packing Evelyn's things, which she was immediately unpacking, so as far as Lynette was concerned, they were getting nowhere fast.

"This is not my fault!" Rick shouted. He'd been shouting pretty much all the way back from Hamunaptra. "I agreed to take you out there and then get you back, and I did that. End of deal, contract terminated!"

Lynette watched as Evelyn turned to Rick, her lower lip quivering just slightly. "That's all I am to you, a contract?" she asked, and Lynette almost gawked when she saw a ripple of discomfort cross Rick's face. Suddenly she felt very much like a third wheel.

"All right," she announced, heading for the door. "I am going to the museum to try and figure something out. I might be able to find something in the library if I'm lucky. When you two work this out, why don't you come find me?" Evelyn waved a hand in the air and Rick nodded before they became completely oblivious to her continued presence, and Lynette made a timely exit.

**OOOO**

Passing through the dark corridors of the museum gave Lynette some time to think. She had no idea what they were going to do to stop a cursed mummy, and despite the fact that she knew that was what she should be thinking about, she couldn't stop thinking about Ardeth Bay. She wasn't sure why. After all, she would probably never see him again. And it wasn't as if there had been any particular connection between. She had been courteous to him and he had been courteous to her and that was really the extent of their relationship. Nothing more, nothing less. So why couldn't she stop thinking about it?

Lost in thought, Lynette rounded the corner that would take her to the library and shrieked loudly when she walked right into someone. Backpedaling in fear, she would have fallen right back onto the floor if two strong, familiar hands hadn't grabbed her shoulders and pulled her forward a little roughly. Shaken, Lynette looked up and right into the eyes of Ardeth Bay.

"Ardeth!" she gasped. "What are you doing here?" He looked down at her and a strange half-smile crossed his face.

"The creature is coming here," he answered after a moment, his expression darkening. "To find your American friends. I came to try and stop him." He studied her, noticing that she had changed back into what he assumed were her normal clothes, a white collared shirt and long khaki skirt, her hair hanging in a long braid down her back. He also noticed that she was still wearing the cloak he had given her. He realized he was staring again and cleared his throat. "But what are you doing here, Lynette?"

"Call me Lynn," she said. "And I'm here for the same reason you are… to try and find a way to stop this thing."

"Then maybe we can help each other," he said. "I'm going to see the curator, why don't you come with me?"

Lynette nodded. "All right. The others should be here soon, I told them to meet me once they were straightened out."

Ardeth stopped momentarily, looking at her with concern in his eyes. She raised her eyebrows questioningly and he frowned briefly. "You should not have come alone, Lynn," he finally said. "It is far too dangerous with the creature on the loose."

"I know how to take care of myself," she said softly. "I've been doing it for my whole life, so I'll be fine. But thank you."

Her voice was tinged with such sadness that Ardeth found himself wanting to ask more about her life before now. What had it been like? Why was she the way she was? But now was not the time. Still, he had to say something. He extended his hand to her and after a moment's hesitation she took it. He pulled her close to his side. "While I am here, I will protect you. It is my duty as a Med-Jai."

"A Med-Jai? What's that?"

"We are the descendants of Pharaoh's bodyguards. It is our charge to keep the creature from being released and to protect those who are threatened by it."

Lynette smiled. "I'm afraid we've made your job much harder. But Ardeth, you don't have to protect me. I'll be fine, like I said." She carefully removed her hand from his. It wasn't that she didn't like the warmth of his hand on hers, and it made her feel very protected, but she wasn't entirely comfortable with being coddled like a child. She didn't know how to fight a supernatural mummy, but she wasn't completely helpless.

"I will not take no for an answer," he said gently. "You may be brave, but sometimes that is not enough." She blushed at his assertion, knowing that it was true. She had no real skill in combat. She'd mostly gotten lucky the two times she'd been in fights over the past few days.

"All right," she relented. "You can protect you, but you don't have to hold my hand, okay? I'm not completely helpless."

He yielded, nodding. "Very well."

She smiled awkwardly. "Come on, the curator's office is this way."

**OOOO**

As Ardeth walked through the dark hallways of the museum with Lynnette at his side, he found himself wondering about the girl's response to his offer of protection. She had sounded sad when she had talked about caring for herself, yet when he offered she was hesitant, as if she had something to prove. As a Med-Jai, he was bound to protect the women of his tribe from any threat, but if he had offered his specific protection to one of them, they would have gladly accepted without a second thought. It was just another thing about this modern and slightly immature girl that intrigued him. It excited him when she stood up for herself, although it should have bothered him because of what he had been taught to value in a woman.

It made him wonder what she had been taught to value in a man, and if perhaps she was worried of being seen a certain way around men, and not just him, but around any man. He was the leader of a band of warriors, and had been told throughout his childhood that it was important for a man to show a woman his strength. Perhaps to Lynette, doing this was arrogant. Ironically, it only made him want to protect her more, perhaps to prove that he was needed. It was his calling to protect those in danger, but he had never had to prove his worth to do it before.

He remembered what she had said to him during their first conversation and smiled to himself. Perhaps he needed to change the way he thought about women after all.

**OOOO**

Lynette leaned against the wall, watching Evelyn, Rick, and Jonathan have it out with Ardeth and the curator. She hadn't even bothered to try to interject her own explanation of having overheard the curator speaking with the hooked Med-Jai in his office, which would have cleared up a great deal of the confusion regarding Ardeth's presence and the curator's role in the entire business. When Ardeth and the curator had finally finished telling the story of Imhotep and Anck-su-namun, Lynette stepped up beside Ardeth and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Great. So not only did we raise this guy from the dead, but he also has a 3,000-year-old grudge," she said.

Rick snorted. "Yeah, I guess that's one way to put it."

"So what do we do?" Lynette asked. Ardeth raised his head to look through the window.

"Whatever we do, we must do it soon," he said. "His powers are growing."

Lynette looked up and watched as the sun was slowly blotted out in a solar eclipse. She unwittingly gripped Ardeth's arm in both her hands. "We need a plan now," she whispered.

**OOOO**

Lynette stood in the middle of the ruins of the library, picking through books, stacking them neatly to the side after deciding that they wouldn't be any help. Ardeth and the curator were picking through other piles in the library, but all three of them could tell that this was not the best way to go about solving their problem.

"We could go through these books until Judgment Day, which doesn't really look like it's going to be that far off with the way we're going, and never find anything," she sighed. "Are you sure there's nothing in that neat little legend that gets passed down through generations of your people that can help us?"

Ardeth angrily hurled one of the books to the side. "No, there is nothing! But there has to be a way. They wouldn't have cursed him if there weren't a way to reverse the consequences."

"I don't remember reading about the Hom-Dai in any of my research," Lynette said, reaching for the book that Ardeth had thrown away. "These things are priceless, you know," she added, picking the book up and turning it over to make sure the pages hadn't been damaged.

"I'm sorry," Ardeth apologized. "I'm just…" He paused, noticing that Lynette's eyes had widened considerably. "What is it?" he asked, making his way over to her.

"You said that the Book of the Dead was the black book my sister read from to resurrect Imhotep, right?" She looked at Ardeth hopefully, and he nodded. She pointed at a passage with her finger. "Evelyn says the Americans found that book in the statue of Anubis at Hamunaptra. But according to this, the Book of the Living should have been in that statue. So where is that book?"

Ardeth looked frantically at Lynette. "It doesn't say?"

"No, this is just about the Book of the Dead. But I bet my sister would know where to find that information. She's dreamt about finding that book for her whole life."

"They're coming back here after they find the Egyptologist." Lynette laid the book carefully in another stack and headed for the door. She poked her head through as she heard footsteps.

"I don't think we're going to have to wait that long," she answered as their companions ran down the hallway and up to the door, breathing heavily.

"Well?" Evelyn asked. "What's the plan?"

"Where's the Egyptologist?" Ardeth asked.

Rick shook his head. "He didn't make it. We need to do something now."

Lynette grabbed her sister by the shoulders. "Evy, we need to know where the Book of the Living is. According to the books in the library, it should have been in the statue of Anubis at Hamunaptra, but that's where the Americans found the Book of the Dead. If that book brought Imhotep back to life…"

Evelyn nodded. "Of course, then the other could kill him! I can't believe I didn't think of it before! Good job, Lynn!" Evelyn hugged her sister, and Lynette hugged her back, elated. Now they were getting somewhere. "We need to look at the stone tablet in the entrance hall. It should only take me a second to find it!"

The rest of them followed Evelyn up the stairs to the giant slab. Lynette was beaming in spite of herself. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this proud. She felt Ardeth's hand on her back and turned to look at him. "Well done, Lynn," he said. "Now we might have a fighting chance."

An insistent pounding started on the museum's front doors. Lynette looked up at Ardeth. "Don't thank me just yet. I think we might be in big trouble."

Ardeth raised her chin with a finger so she could look directly into his eyes. He stared for perhaps a moment too long before saying, "Just remember to stay with me. I will protect you."

Lynette nodded. "I'll remember." She looked anxiously at Evelyn.

"I've got it!" Evelyn suddenly said. "The Book of the Living is at Hamunaptra inside the statue of Horus! Take that, Bembridge Scholars!"

"You can gloat later, Evy, let's go!" Lynette yelled as the front doors of the museum burst open and hordes of men covered in boils and sores began to climb the stairs. Lynette ran out the side door with the others to where Jonathan was waiting with the car. Lynette was about to open the door when she felt Ardeth's hands grab her at the waist and lift her into the car as if she weighed almost nothing. He jumped over the side of the car as it started moving and sat down next to her. Jonathan was driving as fast as he could, but Imhotep's mob was still in pursuit.

Eventually the car was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of their pursuers and Ardeth and Lynette began fighting to keep them off the car. Lynette punched one of the men in the face so hard that she hurt her hand. When the car could go no further, they jumped out, but were quickly surrounded. Ardeth pushed Lynette behind him, and she wondered how in the world they could get out of this.

Suddenly, the crowd stopped, parting to let a tall, handsome man walk up to Evelyn. Lynette gasped, realizing that the man was Imhotep fully regenerated. He extended his hand to Evelyn and spoke in Ancient Egyptian. "Take my hand and I will spare your friends."

"Evy, no," Lynette whispered as Evelyn slowly stepped forward.

"I have to," Evelyn replied. Rick surged forward angrily, but Ardeth grabbed him by the shoulder.

"No!" he said forcefully. "You can't kill him, you will only make things worse."

"He's right," Evelyn said. "He still has to take me to Hamunaptra to perform the ritual." Evelyn looked directly at Lynette, who nodded. Finding the Book of the Living was the only way to save her sister now.

Imhotep led Evelyn to the edge of the crowd and then turned to look back at them, smiling. "Kill them," he said in Ancient Egyptian. Ardeth reached back and grabbed Lynette's hand as she breathed heavily in fear.

"Don't let go of me," he said through clenched teeth, watching as the crowd began to close in.

"I won't," she said breathlessly, wondering if this was really it. Was this how she was going to die?

Rick grabbed her arm. "Come on, you first," he said. She looked at him in bewilderment and he motioned to the open manhole cover at her feet. She nodded and jumped through, stumbling and hitting her shoulder on the wall as her feet hit the ground. Ardeth followed behind her, gathering her close in his arms.

"Are you all right?" he asked. She nodded, fear brimming in her grey eyes. Ardeth was thrilled by the fierce need he felt to protect this girl, and it made him bold. "They will not harm you," he said, his hand coming up to caress her cheek. Her skin burned where his fingers had touched it.

"I know," she responded. She didn't understand how, but she knew.


	4. Chapter 4

_Feedback Note: Once again, the major additions to this chapter are meant to give a little more insight into Lynette and Ardeth's private thoughts, rather than just their outward actions. A big thanks is owed to Nakhti, who informed me of the weakness of the whole Ardeth can't read scene, which made me realize as I reread the third chapter that I had Ardeth reading books in it... LoL So that part has been changed as well. Hopefully you guys feel these changes have been made for the better. Unfortunately, I cannot promise a completion date on the new part, which will bring us to The Mummy Returns, since I am in graduate school and that means I have a lot of homework to do, but I will do my best. The only thing left to fix in these first parts are a few formatting things that the website doesn't seem to like. I hope you enjoy the changes and I will try to deliver more soon!_

**For the Love of a Med-Jai**

**Part One: The Mummy**

**Chapter Four**

Lynette reached for a rung on the ladder that would take them out of the sewers and back into the city streets, hopefully far away from the mob, if the lack of noise they heard on the street above their heads could be trusted. Ardeth put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back down. She turned to look at him. "Let me go first," he said. She relented, watching anxiously as he wrestled the manhole cover away from the hole and shoved it aside. He went up slowly, finally completely disappearing over the edge. It was a moment before he reappeared, extending his hand down to her. "Grab my hand," he said. "It's safe."

Lynette grasped his hand and climbed up the ladder. When she reached the top, he lifted her up onto the ground and looked at her. Her shirtsleeve was almost torn off at the shoulder, and there was a large bruise on her arm where she had fallen into the sewer wall. The knuckles of her other hand were bloody where she had punched the man in the face, and her fingers hurt like hell. She was not exactly at her best, but at least she could be proud that she had contributed to the fight.

Ardeth gently touched the bruise on her arm. "We should get this taken care of before we leave," he said. "Then you can rest while we're gone."

Lynette's relief quickly turned to consternation. "What do you mean while you're gone?!" she demanded. "If you think that I am staying here while an insane mummy tries to kill my sister, you have officially lost it! I know where the book is, and I know how to read it. You are absolutely not leaving me behind!"

Ardeth opened his mouth to protest and then turned as Rick laid his hand on the Med-Jai's shoulder. "I hate to break it to you, pal, but she's right. I sure can't read Ancient Egyptian. How about you, Jonathan?"

Jonathan huffed. "I can when the occasion calls for it."

Lynette smiled at her brother. "Yeah, but you can't read it as well as I can."

Jonathan grimaced. "She's right about that. But you're a Med-Jai, don't you know those things?"

Ardeth sighed. "I do, but I am more useful in a fight." He glanced at Lynette, who now had a very stubborn expression on her face. He thought of how he had felt earlier about wanting to prove himself. She was still trying, he could tell that easily. And it was her sister who was in danger. He could tell that Evelyn had always tried to look after her, and now Lynette wanted to return that favor. "Perhaps… perhaps it would be better if you came," he relented.

Lynette was taken aback. "Really?" she asked.

"Unless you don't want to," he smirked, deliberately goading her.

"Hmph," she responded, crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive stance. "I didn't say that, I just didn't think it would be that easy. "

"We don't have much time," Ardeth answered gravely.

Lynette nodded. "You're right. Now let's get back to the fort, grab our things, and go after Evy."

**OOOO**

The car ride to the airfield gave both of them time to think. Lynette stared out her side of the car, and Ardeth out of his, both of them deliberately distancing themselves from the other. During the attack and in the sewer, when everything had been heated, they had both let down their guard, which disturbed them, albeit for different reasons.

For her part, Lynette was embarrassed by how she had acted. Ardeth had only touched her face, but the way her heart raced and her body reacted to that touch made her feel wanton. She was so used to being levelheaded, to being in control, and she was certainly not a loose woman. In truth, she was barely a woman, and she knew that. She wasn't involved with anyone, didn't even have any prospects of being involved with anyone, so it wasn't like cheating, but somehow it felt that way. It also bothered her that she had acted that way with a man she hardly knew. Of course, Evelyn had been acting that way around Rick, but she was older and the circumstances just felt different somehow. Lynette hadn't even gotten around to deciding what she wanted out of the rest of her life, and it was hardly prudent to let a man get in the way of her future, even if it was undecided.

For his part, Ardeth was chiding himself for being so forward. Lynette had not told him her actual age, but he knew she was young, and therefore impressionable. He knew he was drawn to her because of her attitude and not her age, but that hardly made it right for him to act on his feelings. Those feelings were also new and he thought perhaps misplaced. Everything had happened so fast, and it wasn't as if he had done anything particularly offensive, but it felt that way. If there was really something there, and he had no idea if there was or not, he would need time to sort through those feelings. And, of course, there was always the nagging reminder in the back of his head that there were more important things to deal with at the moment.

As they arrived at the airfield, both of them tried to push these thoughts to the back of their minds. Rescuing Evelyn and stopping Imhotep had to be their first priority.

**OOOO**

Lynette stood on the runway at the airfield, looking dubiously at the plane that she, Jonathan, and Ardeth were about to be strapped to for their trip to Hamunaptra. Ardeth was standing next to her, looking just as dubious. "I'm not so sure this is a good idea," she said, and he nodded his agreement.

Lynette had changed back into the clothes she had purchased in the desert on their way to Hamunaptra, Ardeth's cloak draped over her shoulders, her hair braided tightly and hanging down her back. Ardeth had bandaged her arm and hand with another piece of his apparently never-ending robes, and she was actually feeling pretty good despite things. Still, the whole plane idea put a damper on her mood.

"Ready?" Rick said, coming up behind her. She shook her head.

"Not in the least, but let's go."

**OOOO**

Once the plane was flying smoothly through the air, Lynette relaxed a bit. She was strapped on the wing next to her brother so they could balance out Ardeth's weight on the opposite wing. It still wasn't the most comfortable trip she'd ever been on, but desperate times called for desperate measures, she supposed.

It wasn't long before they were close to Hamunaptra, and Lynette spotted a column of sand moving quickly through the desert. As it dissolved, she saw her sister fall out of it onto the sand. She nudged her brother and yelled to the others, "Looks like they're back!"

"We're just in time, then!" Rick answered. Then Lynette felt a huge gust of wind.

"What the hell was that?" she yelled. The plane was suddenly engulfed in sand, and Lynette pressed her face against the side of her arm, shutting her eyes against the maelstrom. She screamed as she felt the plane take a steep dive, feeling like it was trying to fly through more sand than air.

Jonathan was squirming wildly next to her. "Great, and I can't even kiss my arse goodbye!" he yelled. A moment later Lynette's stomach turned as the plane wheeled over, the air clearing but sand clogging their engines, and finally crashed hard into a sand dune. Lynette's head snapped back on impact, but the straps held tight and when the dust settled, she found herself hanging upside down from the wing of the plane, the nose buried deep in the sand.

"Jonathan?" she said, craning her neck. "Jonathan, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, but a little help would be useful if it's not too much trouble!" he yelped. She heard Rick respond to him, and then realized that the opposite wing of the plane was missing completely. She felt panic rise in her throat.

"Is Ardeth all right?" She struggled to get free, but her harness was too tight. Then a shadow fell over her, the straps loosened, and she fell backwards into someone's arms. She whirled around as her feet touched the ground, the muscles in her throat relaxing as she saw Ardeth standing in front of her.

Thrilled to see that he was alive, she threw her arms around him, and he returned her embrace, lifting her off her feet, her cheek against his and her face buried in his hair. It was only a moment later that he let her go and she stepped back, both realizing that they had done it again. She looked up at him a little sheepishly, blushing. "I thought…"

He smiled and looked down at her, saying, "I am glad you are all right, Lynn. I thought I had broken my promise."

"I'm fine," she answered quickly. "Are you?" He nodded, walking over to the plane and taking hold of the Lewis gun. With one powerful yank, he had freed it from its mount. He grabbed the remaining ammo belt and handed it to Lynette. She watched him examine the gun and then sling the ammo over his shoulder.

"Umm, wow," was all she could manage. He looked at her, making sure the gun was completely loaded.

"What?"

"You just ripped that gun off a plane," she answered. He shrugged his shoulders and she snorted. "What, like it's no big deal? I couldn't do that!"

Ardeth laughed. "Of course you couldn't. You're tiny."

Lynette crossed her arms and lifted her chin. "I resent that, you know." He chuckled, but abruptly stopped as Lynette gasped and her right foot seemed to sink into the sand. The plane began to sink next to her. Ardeth dropped the Lewis gun and jumped forward quickly, picking her up by the waist and pulling her up and out of the sand before stepping back with her in his arms. She clung to him as the plane slowly sank into the ground until it was out of sight.

"Maybe being tiny isn't so bad sometimes," she whispered. Ardeth nodded, setting her down and picking the Lewis gun back up.

"We must get moving if we are going to stop the creature before he can complete the ritual," Ardeth said. The others nodded, and they set off across the desert.

**OOOO**

Lynette grabbed the smaller stones from the top of the pile, heaping them behind her as Rick and Ardeth worked on the bigger parts of the pile. Jonathan had given up trying to help long ago and was poking about somewhere in the chamber. Lynette could only hope that they would be able to find the Book of the Living and get to Evelyn in time.

She leaned down and peered through the hole they had made in the rocks. "I think I can fit through," she said. Ardeth put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"You can't go alone," he said. "You don't know what could be waiting on the other side."

Lynette looked up at him. "I appreciate the concern, Ardeth, but I don't think you'll fit through this hole." He gave her a withering look. She shrugged and began to squeeze through the hole. She fell on the sandy floor on the other side of the hole and realized that it was actually a sliding door. She grabbed the golden handle and pulled, rocks pouring out and clearing the hole so that Ardeth, Rick, and Jonathan could walk through. It was too dark to see much, but Rick noticed the mirrors that Evelyn had showed him during their first visit to the city and he walked over to the nearest one, giving it a shove so that it was in the right place to catch the sun. As the light illuminated the chamber, Lynette's mouth dropped open in amazement.

There was treasure as far as the eye could see. Lynette hadn't thought about the possibility of the legend of the treasure vaults of Egypt being real, but now she was standing in them. She started to walk down the steps, trying to take it all in. Jonathan was turning around in circles as if he didn't know where to look, and Rick seemed as amazed as she was, but Ardeth walked calmly down the stairs to stand beside her.

"You knew all of this was here?" she asked. He nodded.

"It is part of the charge of the Med-Jai to protect the treasure as well." Lynette leaned down and picked something off the top of the pile nearest to her. It was a scimitar like Ardeth's, only this one had a handle made of gold and a rich blue lapus lazuli, with a matching belt and sheath. Lynette drew the blade, turning it over in her hand. Ardeth came up behind her and bent his arm along the length of hers, taking the handle and placing it in her hand the correct way. "Try it like that," he said. "The scimitar is a difficult weapon to master."

Lynette nodded, undoing the belt and clasping it so it hung loosely on her waist. She slipped the long, wicked-looking blade into the sheath. "Do you know where the statue of Horus is from here?" she asked.

"Yes. It should be in the next chamber. If we can find the book and you can find the right inscriptions, we should be able to stop the creature." Lynette's eyes hardened and Ardeth saw her fists clench momentarily.

"Then let's go. My sister is waiting for us," she said. Ardeth stepped in front of her and began to lead the way to the back of the chamber. They were about halfway there when a strange rumbling noise started beneath their feet. "What's that?" Lynette asked, wondering if she really wanted an answer to that question. Before anyone could respond, mummified hands burst up through the sandy floor.

"Who are these guys?" Rick yelled as mummies crawled their way up through the floor.

Ardeth raised the Lewis gun and said, "Priests. Imhotep's priests." Rick nodded and both of them began shooting. Lynette put her back to Ardeth's and held the scimitar in front of her clumsily, hoping that she could actually manage to damage something with it if she got the chance. Of course, they were fighting undead mummies, how much damage could she really do? Nevertheless, she forced herself to remain still until one of them came close, and then she lashed out as best as she could.

The fight went on for several minutes, Lynette severing a few mummified body parts, which was mostly ineffectual. There seemed to be more and more of the mummies as each minute went by. If they stayed here much longer, they wouldn't be able to leave.

"We have to get out of here!" she yelled. "This is useless! We have to find the book and end this once and for all!" She turned to look at Ardeth, who was hitting mummies with his gun because he was out of bullets. "Which way?" she asked. He shouldered the gun and grabbed her by the arm.

"Follow me," he said, and they ran for the exit together.

**OOOO**

A few twists and turns later, the sounds of the mummies were fading behind them. "Please tell me we are almost to the statue," Lynette whispered, Ardeth's hand still curled around her arm.

"It should be right around this corner," he said softly. Lynette almost sighed in relief when the golden profile of Horus came into view.

"Jonathan," she hissed. "Do you know where the Americans found the book in the statue of Anubis?"

Jonathan nodded. "It was in the base." He bent down by the statue of Horus, joined by Rick. Ardeth was busy reloading the Lewis gun, and Lynette realized that the sounds of the mummies were getting louder.

"They're coming," she said. "We have to hurry." She heard Rick grunt as he yanked on a knob he'd found at the corner of the statue, and a compartment swung open. Lynette saw the glint of gold as Jonathan unwrapped the Book of the Living.

"Lynn…" he breathed. She nodded.

"Good. Now we need to get to Evy." She stopped in her tracks as she saw a horde of mummies come around the corner of the tunnel in front of her. "Dammit!" she cursed. "What are we going to do about them?"

Ardeth stood, bringing the heavy Lewis gun up into his hands and aiming it at the tunnel. "You need to go through that tunnel," he said to her, pointing. "It will take you straight to your sister. Read the inscription and stop the ritual." Jonathan immediately started through the tunnel with the book, and Rick began to follow, pulling a stick of dynamite from his belt. Lynette, however, found that she couldn't move. She stared at Ardeth for what seemed like forever, even though she knew it was only a moment.

"Ardeth, no…" she murmured, looking at him helplessly. "You don't… you can't…"

"I must, Lynn. It is the only way. I promised to protect you, and that is what I'm doing. You have to go." His voice grew more insistent as she stayed rooted to the spot. "Lynette, now!" he yelled, his jaw clenched and his eyes dark with fierce determination. "This is my mission, this is what my life is for, but not you! You will not die here!"

Rick had come forward, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the exit. Any words she had were stuck in her throat, because she didn't know exactly what she wanted to say. All she knew was that she didn't want him to die, and it wasn't just because he didn't deserve it. Rick pulled her through the tunnel and lit the dynamite, nodding at Ardeth. The Med-Jai gave her one last look before throwing himself into the horde of mummies. Rick threw the dynamite and Lynette felt tears begin streaming down her cheeks as the ceiling collapsed behind them.

**OOOO**

Lynette wiped tears from her face as she joined her brother at the top of the stairway. Rick ran down the stairs to fight more mummies, and she couldn't see Evelyn. Then she heard her voice.

"Finish the inscription on the cover, idiot, then you can control them!"

Lynette took a deep breath, realizing that now was the time to really prove her worth. "What the hell did you do, Jonathan?" she asked. He shrugged.

"I read from the front of the book and those guys woke up!" He pointed to the mummies Rick was fighting. They looked like soldiers.

"Give me that!" Lynette said, grabbing the book and running down the stairway as Rick bounded up it, trying to stay clear of the soldier mummies. Jonathan followed her, leaning over her shoulder as she looked at the front of the book. "Where did you read from?" Jonathan pointed, and Lynette mouthed the rest of the inscription, making sure her pronunciation was right.

"Rashi mouloo kashka tochim amelophous!" she shrieked, and to her relief, the soldier mummies stopped just as they were about to kill Rick. She saw her sister briefly as she ran between the worn stones of the ancient city, being chased by a female mummy. "Anck-su-namun…" Lynette whispered. She also saw Imhotep, and realized that she had to get his attention so they could get the key and open the book, or else they would never be able to kill him. She shoved the book into Jonathan's arms and turned her head towards the soldier mummies.

"Vakooshka Anck-su-namun!" she commanded, and Imhotep turned towards her with malice in his eyes. She grabbed Jonathan's wrist. "Be ready to grab that key," she whispered. His eyes widened and he nodded as Imhotep stalked towards them and lifted each of them up by the throat.

Lynette gasped for air and began to see black spots in front of her eyes as Imhotep crushed her throat. She kicked at him ineffectually, struggling not to lose consciousness, but she knew she was losing that battle. Suddenly, she fell to the floor as Imhotep dropped her, and she distantly heard him cry out his lover's name. The soldier mummies had reached Anck-su-namun.

Lynette struggled to her feet and stumbled forward as she heard Evelyn reading Ancient Egyptian. She shook her head, trying to clear it, and was suddenly blinded by a flash of bright blue-white light. Throwing her arms up over her face, she ran to where Evelyn and Jonathan were standing. When she lowered her arms, she saw that Rick had stabbed Imhotep through the stomach, and Evelyn placed a hand on her shoulder.

"He's mortal," she said, and Lynette breathed easily for the first time in days. Rick stepped back, and the four of them watched Imhotep stumble backwards into a pool of black water, muttering something in Ancient Egyptian before he slipped under, his body decayed once more. Lynette turned her head and looked at her sister.

"Death is only the beginning," they said together.

**OOOO**

After their frantic run outside the city, Lynette slumped against one of the camels that had been left behind, thinking about Ardeth. He had come so far with them, and he had paid the ultimate price. How could she ever live with herself for letting that happen to him? She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting the others to see her cry, but unable to stop the hot flood of tears that trailed down her cheeks.

She felt a hand gently touch her shoulder, offering comfort. She shook her head, twisting away. "No… no, just leave me alone," she said. "I just need…" The person ignored her, turning her around and pulling her into an embrace. She felt tears being wiped away from her cheeks.

"I hope these tears are not for me, Lynn," a deep, accented voice said. For a moment she stood, frozen, and then she looked up into the welcoming dark eyes of Ardeth Bay. She stared at him in astonishment, not willing to believe it. Maybe she was hallucinating. Maybe the desert had finally gotten to her.

"Are you a mirage?" she asked. He smiled and shook his head.

"No, I am not a mirage. I am here. I escaped from the city. I see that you also completed your task."

She blinked, not knowing what to say. Moments ago, she had been overwhelmed by feelings, and those feelings were still roiling around inside her, but they weren't fully formed. She had no idea what she really felt for this man. She knew she was attracted to him physically, but that wasn't a stretch. She knew that something drew her to him, but she didn't know why. She could have said everything or nothing, and she chose the latter. Little did she know that Ardeth was facing the same conflict.

"I am glad you are all right," he said, stepping back. What had their brief moments meant, after all? He wasn't sure. What he did know was that he still had a duty to his people, a duty to make sure Imhotep never rose from the dead again.

"And I'm glad you are as well. You helped us so much, I… I just couldn't stand the thought of you dying in there." She smiled at him a bit awkwardly, and then reached up, touching the clasp of his cloak. "This is yours," she said. "I should give it back to you."

He shook his head, his hair obscuring part of his face. "No, it is yours now. You may keep it."

"Are you sure?" she asked, trying to come up with anything to say that might keep him there for another moment.

He nodded, turning and mounting the camel he had ridden out of the city. He looked at each of them one by one. "You have earned the respect and gratitude of me and my people," he said. "May Allah smile upon you always."

Lynette nodded, her heart beating frantically. Rick and Evelyn waved nonchalantly, completely wrapped up in each other. As Ardeth turned and rode away, becoming smaller and smaller as he faded into the distance, Jonathan sighed. "I guess we go home empty-handed again," he said dejectedly. Lynette eyed the jeweled scimitar that she was still wearing, which was now hidden by Ardeth's cloak. She wouldn't be telling Jonathan about that. She planned on keeping it and learning how to use it. She never wanted to feel as helpless as she had at times during this adventure again.

"I wouldn't say that," Rick said, gazing at Evelyn longingly. Lynette raised her eyebrows as the two of them kissed, then smiled widely. She hadn't seen Evelyn so happy since before their parents had died, and she barely remembered those days.

"We came out with our lives, Jonathan," she said, climbing up onto one of the camels as Rick and Evelyn took another. "Now get up here and let's go home." Jonathan obliged, climbing up behind her on the camel. She gently tapped its side with her boot and it started to move. As they began to make their way across the desert, she turned and looked at the horizon, one last time. She could barely see Ardeth, but she knew that he was there. Even though she knew it was unlikely, she couldn't shake the very strong feeling that she would see him again someday. Even if it was just a childish wish, she hoped it was right.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Okay, so I realize that this is going to be a fairly boring way to start this part, but the exposition needed to happen. I promise to get to the good stuff as soon as possible. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter as it leads you back into the story, and if you haven't already, slake your thirst by going back and reading the revisions to the four chapters of Part One._

**For the Love of a Med-Jai**

**Part Two: The Mummy Returns**

**Chapter One**

5,000 years ago, a fierce warrior known as the Scorpion King led a great army on a campaign to conquer the known world. After a vicious campaign which lasted seven long years, the Scorpion King and his army were defeated, and driven deep into the sacred desert of Ahm Shere. One by one, they slowly perished under the scorching sun, until only the great warrior himself was left alive.

Near death, the Scorpion King made a pact with the dark god Anubis, that if Anubis would spare his life and let him conquer his enemies, he would give him his soul. Anubis accepted his offer and spared his life.

Anubis gave the Scorpion King command of his army, and like an evil flood they washed away all that lay before them. When his task was done, Anubis forced the Scorpion King to serve him for all time. His army was returned to the sands from whence they came…

Where they wait, silently, to be awakened once again.

**OOOO**

"And that's the whole story, for the hundredth time. We defeated the mummy and everyone lived happily ever after. Don't you ever get tired of hearing it?" Alex shook his head, placing a large piece of cheese on his homemade mousetrap. He looked it over, apparently satisfied, and then glanced at Lynette.

"Aunt Lynette? Do you like that Med-Jai guy you talked about?" he asked.

Lynette put down the pieces she was cataloging and glanced at Alex curiously. "You've never asked me that before."

Alex shrugged. "It's just that when you talk about him, you kind of look like Mom does when she looks at Dad."

She dusted off her hands and shook her head. Sometimes she thought that Alex was too perceptive for his own good. "Yeah," she answered wistfully. "Yeah, I like him." Alex was about to continue the conversation when they both heard something at the entrance to the site. Lynette's hand flew to the harness at the base of her back, gripping the handle of the scimitar she had found at Hamunaptra ten years ago. "Alex, go hide," she ordered. He opened his mouth to protest, but stopped when he saw the look in his aunt's eyes. "Now!" she hissed. He scrambled up the ladder onto the observation platform and disappeared from sight as he lay down on his belly.

Lynette's fingers tightened on the scimitar handle as three men entered the site. The largest of the three smirked as he saw her. "Evelyn O'Connell," he sneered. "Just who we were looking for." He drew a long, menacing knife from his belt, running his finger along the edge of the blade and looking at her hungrily.

She drew the scimitar from its sheath, holding it expertly as they advanced towards her. "I'm afraid you're looking for my sister, and she's not here right now. Try back some other time." She was slowly backing up, noticing the guns all three men had, wondering if she could disarm them all.

"Hang on there, missy," the leader said. "We won't hurt you if you tell us where the bracelet is."

Lynette cursed to herself. So they knew about the Bracelet of Anubis. It was what Evelyn had come here to find. But if Lynette wanted to get these men out of here without risking her family, she had to play dumb. "What bracelet? There's nothing here but old pottery shards that belong in a museum."

"Oh, we're not that stupid," the leader countered. "We know it's here, and we know you're looking for it. So give it up."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lynette insisted through clenched teeth. The leader opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the loud thump of a door opening deep within the inner chamber. The leader motioned to the two men at his side, winking at her before he strolled off into the chamber. Lynette pointed her scimitar at the smaller of the two men, who was clearly frightened. "Don't come any closer."

"Maybe we should listen to her, Jacques. That thing looks sharp," he whimpered.

"Shut up, Spivey. I can take care of one little girl." The larger man advanced towards her, his knife in one hand, a gun in the other. "Do you want to test my confidence?" he asked her. She grimaced and looked at the gun in his hand, slowly reaching behind her to slide the scimitar back into its sheath. She had to protect Alex, and provoking this man into shooting her wasn't the best way to do that.

"Just take what you came for and get out," she said, standing her ground. He slipped his gun back into its holster and eyed her appreciatively.

"Maybe what I came for isn't what I want anymore," he said, his fingers coming up to touch her chin. She recoiled from his touch, her body tensing, ready to strike out. Suddenly, an effeminate shriek echoed throughout the room, and she jumped in surprise. It was the tall, thin man, Spivey. He was holding a very large pebble in one hand.

"Jacques! Something hit me head!" he whined. Jacques rolled his eyes, but there was fear behind them.

"Shut up, Spivey. This place is cursed." Lynette took advantage of him looking away from her and swiftly brought her arm up to hit him, but he was too fast. He grabbed her wrist in his hand, squeezing it painfully, bringing his other hand to her throat. He lifted her off the ground, and she gasped, her feet kicking in a desperate attempt to free herself before she choked to death. Just when she thought she might pass out, he threw her roughly against the wall, mounting the ladder onto the observation platform where Alex was standing. She tried to yell, but she could hardly breathe. She struggled to get up, trying to help Alex, but her head was spinning and she fell back to the floor, her face lying against the sandy stone tiles.

She faintly heard footsteps as the leader ran back into the room. "Jacques! Spivey! Let's get out of here." She heard the snap of wooden planks as Jacques kicked the supports out from under the observation tower and ran out the door after his companions. She coughed violently, unable to move, only managing to look up as she heard a series of crashes echo throughout the room. She saw Alex clinging desperately to one of the columns as they toppled against each other in a neat circle, the last one finally crashing into the far wall. Lynette's head began to clear as water gushed from the opening created by the column, soaking most of her clothes as she finally stood up. She saw Rick and Evy, soaking wet, lying in the middle of the floor. She wanted to ask what had happened, but couldn't speak yet.

Alex stood sheepishly between his aunt and his parents, looking back and forth. "Mom, Dad," he said, "I can explain everything."


	6. Chapter 6

**For the Love of a Med-Jai**

**Part Two: The Mummy Returns**

**Chapter Two**

Lynette flipped through the pages of a book detailing the different legends of Ahm Shere, vaguely aware of what was going on around her. Rick and Evy were arguing about whether to search for the oasis or stay home. Frankly, Lynette was up for more adventure, despite what had happened at the site. She still had faint bruises on her throat, but they would eventually fade completely. Right now she was more concerned with the situation at hand. She found it unusual that three grave robbers would just happen to show up at a site that had been ignored for thousands of years looking specifically for a bracelet that was believed to be fictional. It had been nagging at the back of her mind ever since they had left, and now she was trying to figure it out.

In ten years, Lynette had become an expert in mythology and legend. After their harrowing experience with Imhotep, it was what she had decided to study. She researched anything that seemed farfetched or fanciful, things that most scholars would dismiss in a heartbeat as being the product of imaginative minds. Whether it was the Bracelet of Anubis, King Arthur's lost sword Excalibur, or the fabled city of Atlantis, she gave every legend a fair go, looking for anything that might be grounded in truth. So far she hadn't found anything of note, but that was really what she was hoping her expeditions proved. The less chance that these supernatural things were real meant the less chance that something like what had happened with Imhotep would happen again. And besides, the legends were enormously interesting, whether they were true or not.

When she wasn't studying or writing volumes on mythology, she had trained with the scimitar, learning how to use until it was almost an extension of her hand rather than something she held in it. Rick had also taught her how to fight with her body, but without the bulk and force that a man like him could put behind his punches, it wasn't as useful to her as the blade was. Still, it meant she wasn't helpless anymore. She didn't need anyone to protect her.

Not that she would have minded if a certain someone had shown up to offer.

Not a day went by that Lynette didn't think about Ardeth Bay, the mysterious Med-Jai she had left behind in the desert a decade ago. So much had happened since then. She had grown up, chosen a career, thrown herself into her work, helping her sister when it was necessary. She had watched Evelyn and Rick get married and have a bright, beautiful son. Although Lynette was happy with what she had accomplished, it made her aware of a hole in her life that had just never been filled. Men had certainly wanted her, and not all of them had been deplorable, but she couldn't bring herself to give any of them even the slimmest chance. No one was as beautiful, as honorable, as worthy of love as Ardeth Bay. She knew she didn't deserve him, but that hardly mattered to her heart. She had often wondered how it was possible to fall in love with someone who wasn't even there. After all, Ardeth was hardly more than a distant memory. There were times when she had thought of seeking him out, but it had just seemed wrong. A part of her knew that if they were supposed to meet again, it would happen on its own. She had no idea what would happen if they did, but she was willing to take a chance. She wouldn't let him walk away so easily this time.

She had heard Evelyn come downstairs and start talking to Alex in the foyer, and she walked, book in hand, thinking to offer some advice about the search for Ahm Shere. But as she walked into the foyer, all thoughts of Ahm Shere vanished from her mind. A large man dressed in crimson robes was standing in front of her sister. Lynette dropped the book, her hand reaching behind her and pulling the scimitar free from its sheath. "What's going on here?" she asked. "What do you want?"

"I have come for the chest, of course," he said smoothly.

Seeing Lynette put up a defensive stance, Evelyn backed up, herding Alex behind her, grabbing a sword from a rack by the door. "Get out of my house," she ordered. Lynette stepped up to stand beside her sister as several men, also dressed in crimson robes, came to flank the first.

Alex gulped audibly behind them. "Mom, maybe not the best idea. I think it's time to yell for Dad now."

The man advanced menacingly. "Now I will kill you and take it anyway."

Before either of the women could react, a deep voice resounded from the back hallway. "I think not." Lynette's heart lurched from her chest to her throat. In had been ten years, but she would have recognized that voice anywhere. She dared not take her eyes off of the dangerous man in front of her, but it wasn't long before Ardeth was beside her.

Her eyes flicked to the side, taking him in even as she asked, "Ardeth? What are you doing here?" She could barely contain her excitement, and she was sure that a decade of longing for him was showing in her eyes. She desperately wanted to look into his and see if that emotion was reciprocated, but that would just have to wait. Still, he was here. For now, that was enough.

"Perhaps explanations are best kept for later," he murmured, and his voice was strained, as if there was more he wanted to say but couldn't at the moment. She felt hope surge through her veins, and wondered why her heart didn't just sprout wings and fly up out of her throat.

The threatening man smirked. "Ardeth Bay," he sneered. He said it like a challenge.

"Lock-Nah," Ardeth answered, rising to that challenge.

With a word from Lock-Nah, the men spread out in a systematic pattern of attack. Two of them came up to Lynette, and she whirled, the scimitar flashing in the air as she spun, slicing the two men across the chest. They fell to the floor and she planted her foot in one of their necks, hearing his spine snap as she dropped to one knee, removing the dagger from the other man's belt and plunging it into his heart. Springing back to her feet, she ran to where Evelyn was fighting several men, grabbing one of them from behind and slitting his throat. She ducked as a blade whizzed over her head, smashing into the bookshelf. A man grabbed Alex from behind, trying to grab the chest with the bracelet from him. They both let go of the chest and it clattered into a nearby corner. Lynette drove her scimitar deep into the man's abdomen, using all her strength to wrench it back out and push him onto the floor.

Alex tipped a bookshelf onto one of the assailants, but by that time, both of them had lost track of the chest. Ardeth was fighting Lock-Nah, but three more men had cornered Evelyn. One of them was holding the chest. Another hit her hard in the face and she crumpled over his shoulder. He picked her up and ran through the door before Lynette could react. Lock-Nah quickly slashed Ardeth on the shoulder before throwing his cloak over his shoulders and following his men out the door. By the time Lynette had checked the back hallway for more men, grabbed Alex and made sure he was okay, and climbed over the bookshelf to Ardeth, they were all gone.

She stood next to Ardeth, gasping for breath, leaning down to wipe the blood off her scimitar on a dead man's robe before putting it back in its sheath. He was staring down at her with an intense expression, oblivious to the bleeding wound on his arm. She stood up to face him, worry and happiness clouding her features. "We have to get my sister," she said breathlessly.

He nodded. "What was in the chest?"

"The Bracelet of Anubis." Ardeth's eyes widened and he motioned for her and Alex to follow him outside. Even as they ran out the door, they saw that the two cars the assailants had arrived in were too far away for a foot pursuit. Rick and Jonathan were standing by the statue in the courtyard, and she hurried towards them. Alex leapt into his father's arms while Ardeth lingered behind her. When Rick finally turned to acknowledge Lynette's presence, he saw Ardeth and his eyes narrowed.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he yelled. "No, scratch that, I don't care, who the hell were those men and where are they taking my wife?"

Lynette pulled Rick back by the shoulder. "Leave him alone, Rick, it's not his fault. There were too many of them, and we had to protect Alex."

Ardeth had pulled a photograph out of the folds of his silver and black robes. "My friend, I am not sure, but wherever this man is, your wife will surely be."

Alex grabbed the photograph and then showed it to Lynette. "Hey, I know him! He's the curator. He works at the British Museum."

Ardeth looked down at Alex in surprise. "Is he sure?" he asked Lynette.

She nodded. "You better believe it. My nephew spends more time at the museum than he does at home."

Rick motioned for them to follow him to the car so they could go to the museum and rescue Evelyn. Lynette was acutely aware of Ardeth as he walked beside her, but now was not the time or place to say anything. Besides, she didn't know exactly what she would say. She had spent a decade imagining what it would be like to see him again, and now she was tongue-tied. It bothered her. Wasn't ten years of sorting through those few awkward moments enough? Did she really have to go through all of that again?

Ardeth was having just as difficult a time as she was. He had spent ten years in the Med-Jai camp leading his warriors, going about life as usual, thinking that one day his interest in the strange modern girl he had met at Hamunaptra would fade, but with every passing day the memory of her only grew stronger. He had been under enormous pressure to marry and produce heirs, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. She was the only woman he wanted, and despite the fact that she was now beside him, he couldn't bring himself to say it. He had thought he was over the shyness, but apparently not.

Rick had his mind on other things. He was busy asking Ardeth about his unexpected presence. Finally able to open her mouth and produce something coherent, Lynette butted into the conversation. "My assumption is that those men are trying to raise Imhotep from the dead and the Med-Jai knew about it. They sent Ardeth here to find them and he came to get our help."

Rick was incredulous. "Why raise Imhotep from the dead? What good does that do them?"

Lynette sighed. "Do you even read my books, Rick?"

"Evy does."

Lynette rolled her eyes. "Well, I know she told you about the Scorpion King and the resting place of Anubis' army. What she probably didn't tell you was that the Bracelet of Anubis is a kind of catalyst. Supposedly anyone who puts it on is shown the way to Ahm Shere. Once someone puts on the bracelet, they have seven days to follow the trail and face the Scorpion King. If the Scorpion King is defeated, the victor gains his power. The power of Anubis' army. Maybe they think Imhotep could be the one to defeat the Scorpion King."

Ardeth was gazing at her, clearly impressed. "Lynn is right. They have once again removed the creature from his grave."

"I don't mean to point fingers, but isn't it your job to make sure that doesn't happen?" Jonathan asked.

"The woman with them, she knows things. Things that no living person could possibly know. She knew exactly where the creature was buried."

"What does Evelyn have to do with all this?" Rick countered, clearly distraught.

"That I do not know," Ardeth answered.

Lynette snorted. "I think I know. Imhotep now has a 3,010-year-old grudge."

Rick stopped in his tracks. "You think that they're going to kill her?"

"Unless they need her for something else, the thought probably crossed their mind. All they wanted was the bracelet."

"Yes, we were hoping the woman would lead us to the bracelet. She obviously did. And now they have it." Ardeth was clearly concerned.

"I wouldn't get too nervous just yet," Alex said sheepishly. He pulled back his sleeve and revealed the Bracelet of Anubis. It gleamed brightly on his wrist. Lynette stared at it in wonder.

Ardeth grabbed the boy's wrist in his hands. "By putting this on you have started a chain reaction that could bring about the next apocalypse!"

Lynette nudged him a little roughly. "Ardeth, he's just a kid."

Rick put his foot down. "You, lighten up," he said to Ardeth. "You, big trouble," he said to Alex. "You, get in the car," he said to Lynette and Jonathan. Everyone followed suit and piled in for the ride to the museum.

**OOOO**

Lynette sat in the back of the car with Jonathan and Ardeth, carefully cleaning Ardeth's wound. He kept his eyes down while she did this, trying to figure out what to say, but also not wanting to say anything in such mixed company. The conversation he wanted to have with Lynette was certainly of a private nature.

He was surprised that his imaginings had not accommodated for ten years of growing up. She had been no great beauty when he had first met her, and she still wasn't, but she had grown out of the last remaining awkwardness of adolescence. He had noticed that she was just a little taller as she had walked on the road beside him, and her body was clearly that of a woman's, her breasts and hips fuller than they had been ten years ago. She had cut her hair short so it fell only to her chin, but it was still slightly curly and a rich dark brown. Her grey eyes had not changed. They were still the same as he remembered them.

Lynette concentrated intently on bandaging Ardeth's wound, but it was hard not to notice him when he was sitting right in front of her. He was every bit as beautiful as the first day she had met him. His black hair was longer than hers now, falling to his shoulders in gentle waves, his black eyes kind and protective. His tattoos stood out against his dark skin, and she found herself mesmerized by his full lower lip. He had hardly changed physically from the man she remembered. She was quite different from the last time she had seen him. After all, she had done a lot of physical and mental growing up in the past ten years.

It was Ardeth who broke the silence. "How do you know so much about the Scorpion King?" he asked.

Lynette smiled. "That's what I do now, Ardeth. I research myths and legends, trying to find out what's real and what's not. I've written some books, and I help Evelyn and Rick with their archaeology sometimes. The Scorpion King recently came up in my research, and that's what led Evelyn to the site where she found the bracelet."

"You have written books?" Ardeth asked. Lynette nodded. "That is wonderful. I am… very proud of you." Ardeth looked up, almost shyly, and Lynette realized that he was blushing. She felt her own cheeks flush, and she quickly finished bandaging his wound.

"There. That shouldn't bother you anymore." She put her hands in her lap, and her heart pounded in her chest as he reached out and took her hand, looking deeply into her eyes. Lynette felt the world begin to fall away around her, and it took all her strength at that moment to remember what was at stake.

"Thank you," he murmured as they pulled into the museum. She pulled it away from him as they stepped out of the car, her mind brimming with things she couldn't yet say.


End file.
